Chapter 83: Looking ahead, the checkpoint that takes the blame!

The crowds were all crowded at the starting station from the main urban area.

Cheng Ye had been waiting in line for only a few minutes when another hundred or two hundred people arrived.

He squeezed into the crowd and listened attentively, and sure enough, all of them were residents who were planning to migrate away.

"It's easy to get into and out of Happiness City. Fortunately, there are no complicated procedures to go through, which saves us a lot of trouble."

"It's a pity. I haven't used up all my happiness coins yet. I can only take them outside to find someone to exchange them for things. I don't know how much I can get back."

"Let's go, are you still thinking about spending money? Another wave of infection might destroy this place. Didn't you see so many people? They didn't even leave the door before they were blown up by missiles?"

"That's right. No matter how important money is, it's not as important as being alive. This Happy City is just like that. It's hyped up on the radio, but in reality, it can't withstand any tossing and turning."

"Luckily, I was prepared and exchanged all my money for ammunition in advance. This is hard currency and can be exchanged for supplies anywhere."

"Where are you planning to go? The nearest super-sanctuary city is at least a thousand kilometers away."

"Let's go out and see. Winter is coming soon. I'll go wherever the welfare is better."

"That's right. This winter will definitely be very cold. I think tens of thousands of people will die in Xingfu City. I just don't know who the unlucky ones are."

“.”

Everyone who was speaking was not optimistic about the future of Happiness City, as if they had suffered enough grievances staying here.

However, Cheng Ye also noticed that many people had hesitation on their faces, but they just blended into the crowd and ultimately said nothing.

"It's full, please wait for the next bus."

It is really strange that the buses, which were deserted before the wave of infection, are now packed with people.

Cheng Ye waited in line for more than twenty minutes before he finally squeezed into the bus with the crowd.

The carriage was full of people carrying large bags, just like the buses at the door carrying students home during the university holidays every winter and summer vacation.

Everyone's face was filled with anxiety and uneasiness, as well as a bit of anticipation for a new life.

Change the place and the past becomes the past.

No one knows what the outcome of this journey will be, but at least we have left the mess we are in now.

Soon, we arrived at the Chemical Plant Community Station.

Amidst the strange gazes of everyone in the car, Cheng Ye squeezed out of the car from the back door and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Goodbye, and have a safe journey!"

He waved his hands and shouted.

Many people in the carriage were stunned, with a complicated and melancholy look in their eyes.

But some people smiled faintly, waved at him, and seemed to be saying through their mouth shapes:

Look forward!

Yes, people always have to look forward.

A large number of elderly people have left Xingfu City, and there will always be a large number of new people in the future.

The reason why the top management let it go is probably because they think that even if these old people stay, the buffer zone will hardly improve, so it is better to eliminate them all and replace them with new people to try again.

"But if you keep starting from zero, you only accumulate experience from 0-10. Where can you accumulate experience from 10-100?"

Cheng Ye watched the bus carrying a full load of migrants gradually going away and couldn't help but sigh.

In this world, we must first protect everything we have before we can talk about development.

Otherwise, no matter how good the situation is, it will be almost destroyed by a wave of infection.

Entered the community.

There aren't many traces of fighting left here, only the newly added bullet holes on the wall, silently telling of the fierce battle that took place not long ago.

When he reached the fifth floor, just as he was about to knock on the door, it was pushed open by Liu Yi from the inside.

"Mom, it's Cheng Yeguoguo!"

"How did you know?" Luo Xiaoxue came out from the inner room, wiping her hands with a smile on her face.

"I remember Cheng Yeguoguo's footsteps. I heard him as soon as he reached the third floor!"

"Yiyi is so amazing."

Cheng Ye leaned down and said softly, "Next time, don't open the door just because you hear footsteps. What if a bad guy imitates you?"

"No, no," Liu Yi raised his little face and shook his head seriously. "Yi Yi can tell if it's an imitation of footsteps. Many people have imitated their father's footsteps before."

"hiss"

Cheng Ye took a deep breath and his heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Liu Yi also had some special talent?

He subconsciously opened the panel, but no search option popped up.

"Come in, you look tired."

Luo Xiaoxue continued to talk to herself, then looked up at him: "He must have gone out to kill the infected the night before yesterday, right?"

"Um."

Cheng Ye nodded and closed the door.

"I was a bit unlucky. I don't know how I managed to provoke a high-level fusion creature. It chased me and killed me all night. I finally got rid of it in the second half of the night."

"Advanced fusion?" Luo Xiaoxue was startled and quickly looked him up and down. "Are you okay?"

"No, they're just minor injuries."

"Take it off, let me see."

"Well"

Cheng Ye smiled awkwardly, but still lifted up his short sleeves as he was told, revealing his upper body covered with purple bruises.

Luo Xiaoxue's expression changed immediately. She quickly came over and carefully examined it before she breathed a sigh of relief. "It's really just some superficial injuries, but you're taking a risk."

"No way, this is already good enough for me."

Once you get to know each other, there's no need for those empty formalities.

Cheng Ye was not worried that the enhanced fusion level would scare Luo Xiaoxue. What happened in the past was in the past, and the fact that he was standing here now was the best proof.

"But it's just as well. I was planning to ask you to find a reason to stay in the infirmary for ten days or half a month."

"Infirmary?"

Cheng Ye frowned, "Is the situation at the checkpoint going to be complicated?"

"It's not very complicated, it's extremely complicated," Luo Xiaoxue emphasized. "After the last nightmare fluke outbreak, a total of 12 inspectors died in the following six months, with seven killed in the first two months alone. Now with so many people moving in and out, there's bound to be countless sources of infection. And those senior inspectors are still out on duty. It's too dangerous to let you take over now."

As she spoke, she took out a packet of red powder from the box, poured it into a cup and dissolved it with hot water. "It's a common synthetic analgesic. It can relieve the pain and speed up the healing of bruises."

"Thank you."

Cheng Ye took the cup, his fingertips touching the warm wall, and raised his eyes and said, "Sister Luo, I have a pretty good idea of what's going on in the station recently, and I also have some understanding of the factions in the inner city. I want to ask about my father."

"He was a fifth-term inspector. There's no reason for him to die so suddenly, right?"

"Can't wait?"

Luo Xiaoxue seemed to have anticipated this and nodded gently. "There are some things I can't explain, and Liu Bi didn't tell me much either. But there's one thing I know for sure: your father's death was foreseen before he took action. He informed us in advance and arranged his funeral. It was definitely not some conspiracy, and it has nothing to do with Ding Yishan or the entire checkpoint."

"What did he do?"

"I don't know the details, but the current rumors and external statements are..."

Luo Xiaoxue paused, hesitated for a moment before uttering five words, "Intercept and kill An Xingfu."

"Hmm? City Lord?"

Cheng Ye's heart sank, but his expression remained calm. "If the inspector killed the city lord, can the checkpoint still be saved?"

"You should know the three major factions in our Happy City now, right?"

"Um."

"When your grandfather was still alive, there was actually no Idealist faction in our Happy City. There were only three major factions: the Extraordinary, Technology, and Checkpoint. These three factions were equal and jointly managed Happy City."

"Among them, the Extraordinary Faction controls the military, is responsible for training the legions, clearing the surrounding infected bodies, and repelling the covetousness of surrounding settlements and sanctuary cities. They have the greatest external power."

"The technology faction is responsible for the development of people's livelihoods and also for researching the source of infection. Because of the difficulty in getting started, it is the weakest of the three factions and has little say."

"The checkpoint is located between the two. Your grandfather was a founding member of the city and had the support of many elders. His methods were extremely tough, so he was able to lay the foundation right from the start."

Luo Xiaoxue looked somewhat numb as she recalled, "Later, the Transcendent Faction suffered increasingly heavy casualties from years of warfare, and gradually fell from its position as the leader of the faction. The Tech Faction, however, managed to maintain its footing and gradually rose to become the new leader of Happiness City. As for the checkpoint..."

"At the time, civil unrest broke out, and the checkpoint was divided into two factions: the Original Aspirations and the Idealists. The Original Aspirations faction, led by your grandfather, faced fierce resistance from the Idealists, leading to a fierce argument and confrontation. It turned out that the Idealists managed to convince the elders who had originally supported the Original Aspirations faction. Your grandfather's resistance was futile, so he chose to flee the country with a group of his closest associates, and we haven't heard from them since."

"At that time, your father was still in the inner city. He was only sixteen years old. Just like you now, he was forced to take over as inspector. Not only did he have to endure pressure from all sides, but he was also constantly targeted and harassed by the idealists within the inspection station."

"I had no choice but to join the Pioneer Corps and avoid the power struggles. But in the two and a half years since he left, the buffer zone has been devastated by various sources of infection, and without the protection of the Novice Cult, the population has plummeted by 70%, almost to the brink of collapse."

"Finally, the Idealists admitted their mistake and voluntarily withdrew from the checkpoint. Some left Happiness City directly, while others entered the inner city to receive instructions from the elders. Well, the Idealists are now in control of the Public Works Department. After their withdrawal, the checkpoint was once again controlled by the former members of the Beginners. That's when your father was able to return and officially began his career as an inspector."

The first half of Cheng Long's life can definitely be made into a dramatic movie.

Just by listening to Luo Xiaoxue's calm statement, Cheng Ye could imagine how suffocating the overwhelming pressure was.

What's more, Cheng Long didn't have any collector in his hand, he relied on himself to fight step by step.

"So, Ding Yishan is also a former member of the Chuxin Sect?"

Luo Xiaoxue sighed and nodded. "Yes, his father followed your grandfather and has not been heard from since. The trusted inspectors he personally trained when he was station chief were later taken away by your father to carry out missions, and all died outside."

"The checkpoint currently lacks the support of the elders, so Stationmaster Ding can only rely on Liu Kun. Well, Liu Kun is also a former member of the Beginner's Faction. The two of them are working together to barely keep the checkpoint afloat. They can't let it completely become a tool of the Inner City faction, and they have to try to maintain some autonomy."

"ah?"

Cheng Ye was startled and completely stunned.

My mind felt like a tangled mess, and my previous understanding of the relationship between the checkpoint and the inner city factions was shattered by these few words.

"Then these and the ambush and killing of An Xingfu."

"This was a unanimous decision made by the three major factions in the inner city. Each faction had to send someone. Ding Yishan originally planned to assign someone at random, but your father insisted on joining, saying that he wanted to use this opportunity to explore the possibility of becoming extraordinary. The final result..."

When Luo Xiaoxue said this, her tone became heavy and she stopped talking.

"The three major factions, no, the people from Happiness City went to kill their own city lord?"

"Well, that's why I said it was just a rumor. After all, An Xingfu hasn't made a public appearance in 16 years. Only Ding Yishan and the person who decided this matter know what happened. Even your brother B only knows a rough outline."

Luo Xiaoxue shook her head slightly. "Now, someone has to take the blame for the substitute starfish. If nothing unexpected happens, it will fall on the checkpoint. You go and recuperate, which is a good opportunity to avoid this vortex and wait until everything is completely settled!"

Drop, drop.

A pickup truck with a checkpoint logo printed on it stopped steadily in front of the gate of Happiness.

Several guards exchanged glances and immediately stepped forward quickly.

"During this special period, please get off your vehicle for inspection and walk through the isolation and disinfection workstation."

"Are you blind and don't see the checkpoint sign?"

The passenger window of the pickup truck rolled down, revealing a young face, who slapped the emblem on the door with his palm.

However, the guards exchanged glances without moving an inch, and the leader straightened his back.

"I'm sorry, Captain Chu has issued a strict order. Anyone entering the inner city from the buffer zone must walk through the isolation and disinfection workstation, even if Director Liu is here in person."

"Um?"

The young man raised his eyebrows, realizing the hidden meaning in the guard's words. He was about to get out of the car when a hand reached out from the back seat and held his shoulder.

"Achuan, get out of the car." The person in the back seat spoke calmly, "We are not a privileged class. We still have to abide by the rules."

"Stationmaster."

Achuan looked back and finally suppressed his emotions.

The car door opened, and Ding Yishan got out first. With a kind smile on his face, he looked at the guards and said, "You all have done your duty. It's us who have caused you trouble."

His smile was obviously gentle, but when the guards saw it, it made everyone shudder inexplicably.

The captain of the leading guards, in particular, had his Adam's apple twitching, and could only bite the bullet and say, "I'm glad Stationmaster Ding understands."

"I understand, of course I understand."

Ding Yishan waved his hand, signaling the pickup truck to return the way it came, and then led Ah Chuan to the small door beside the main gate, "Let's go."

"Sir." After taking a few steps, Ah Chuan finally couldn't help but grit his teeth and whispered, "This starfish is not our fault. Given the strangeness of the mother source, our checkpoint is incapable of screening it out in advance. Now we are taking the blame. This..."

"That's normal. With such a big commotion, the others definitely won't take the blame. After all, we are the weakest."

Achuan choked and finally swallowed the rest of his words, but his expression remained ugly.

The two walked one after the other through the isolation and disinfection workstation.

Two leaves fell, revealing the names Ding Yishan and Jiang Chuan respectively.

However, there is a number on Jiangchuan's leaf, marked with '1'.

This means that he only has one last chance to enter the inner city this year. If he wants a new opportunity, he will have to wait until next year.

"Sir, the Red Tiger has been growing stronger over the past two years, but the Inner City has reduced the number of people entering and leaving. It seems they are really planning to completely isolate the inside and outside."

"Who knows? We can't control so much."

Ding Yishan shook his head, put the leaves into the collection bin, and stepped out of the quarantine station.

call.

An indescribable fresh air instantly enveloped my whole body, as warm as if I had walked into the morning mist of early spring.

The alloy ground beneath my feet was slightly cool, dissipating most of the summer heat. It was as if with just one step, I had stepped from one world into another completely different world.

However, before the two of them could gain a firm foothold, a black pickup truck stopped silently in front of them.

The driver's window slowly rolled down, revealing a rugged face covered in a beard. "Get in the car. You're the stationmaster after all. Are you really planning on walking in like an ordinary person?"

"Of course not. A sinner should act like a sinner."

Ding Yishan smiled and nodded slightly, "Director Liu, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again this time."